"Monster in the Forest"
About '''"Monster in the Forest" '''is the second tale in the sixteenth episode of the second season of the Nosleep Podcast. In it, a man digs holes for work. Written by A. Rice, it has a runtime of 12:10 and was performed by David Cummings. It is the 142nd tale overall on the podcast. Summary A man and his wife live from paycheck to paycheck, barely able to keep their children fed. The man is suddenly laid off from his job and he begins looking for other work. He answers a Craigslist ad claiming to pay over $1000 a week. The placer of the ad, an old man, tells him he needs a worker to come dig holes in a large plot of land he owns outside of town. The old man reveals that he thinks there's a monster in the forest at night and that the holes need to be at least four feet wide and nine feet deep so the monster can fall in and be caught. The man agrees to the job with the stipulation that he be paid first before doing any work. The old man also says that it will take at least three days to dig a hole and that he can't use machinery or the trees will be damaged. The man arrives at the property and finds an envelope taped to the front door, with his day's pay and instructions to dig the first hole deep inside the forest. He borrows some shovels from the old man's shed and walks ten minutes inside. Due to the trees being so close together and the ground being so rough, the man digs for ten hours but is only able to remove about a third of the dirt needed. When he returns the next day he finds the rest of the money and a complementary note from the old man telling him he did a good job on his hole. Things go on like this for the next two months. The man spends five days a week digging two holes and then rests for the weekend. He never sees the old man in person. Due to the increased inflow of cash, the man is able to provide for his family and even begin a savings account. He occasionally checks his already-dug holes, but finds that the old man is doing nothing with them. The man arrives at work one day to find a second note and paycheck. Another man arrives and he realizes the old man has hired another worker because he needs another 120 holes and wants them completed as fast as possible. He is saddened by his reduced responsibility. A few weeks later, the man's wife is diagnosed with cancer. Most of his paycheck goes towards her medical bills. With the number of holes rapidly dwindling, the man worries what will happen after there are no more to dig. One day, the man finishes his hole early and sees the other worker has almost completed his. The man pulls up the ladder and leaves the other worker trapped to die before filling it in two weeks later. He muses that the real monster in the forest is himself, and that the old man is a fool for believing that he will be caught in his own trap. Category:Tales Category:Season 2 Category:A. Rice Category:David Cummings